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Ever had an injury or crash that made you consider quitting?

15K views 64 replies 42 participants last post by  Crankthat 
#1 ·
I caught an edge today going REALLY fast and landed very awkwardly on my face with my spine taking the force of the fall and making a huge cracking sound. I did not move for 10 minutes after the fall.

I remember the excruciating pain shooting up my spine and not feeling anything beneath my waist for a split second. I laid there praying that I wasn't paralyzed and tried to wiggle my toes( just like kill bill, yes i know) and luckily they moved. After ten minutes I made my way down slowly and went home.

During those ten minutes of not being able to get up, I thought about my job, which requires me to me mobile and physical, and having to quit and spending my life with a cane or something. Then when I was able to get up I thought about maybe quitting. The chance of getting permanently injured just isn't worth it. Losing job, quality of life, and whatnot.



What about you guys?
 
#41 ·
I've had a couple, but none that made me want to quit. They did change how I treat my days. I'm more cautious about warming up and I really listen to my body. When I start getting sloppy from being tired, I call it a day.
 
#43 ·
I broke my back riding this past season. I had a few days in the hospital with time to think about how much I almost lost in my life and how badly it could have been.

It made me think about the kind of reckless riding I'd been doing and the poor shape I'd let myself get in.

I didn't consider quitting but I did re-evaluate my priorities within snowboarding. Basically I want to ride until I die so I needed to get myself in physical shape again and get a fresh start with riding; focusing on correct progression rather than hucking myself over everything in order to progress super fast.
 
#44 · (Edited)
I caught an edge today going REALLY fast and landed very awkwardly on my face with my spine taking the force of the fall and making a huge cracking sound. I did not move for 10 minutes after the fall.

I remember the excruciating pain shooting up my spine and not feeling anything beneath my waist for a split second. I laid there praying that I wasn't paralyzed and tried to wiggle my toes( just like kill bill, yes i know) and luckily they moved. After ten minutes I made my way down slowly and went home.

During those ten minutes of not being able to get up, I thought about my job, which requires me to me mobile and physical, and having to quit and spending my life with a cane or something. Then when I was able to get up I thought about maybe quitting. The chance of getting permanently injured just isn't worth it. Losing job, quality of life, and whatnot.


What about you guys?
Uhhhh... please tell me you at LEAST got an x-ray of your back... Ever heard of the guy that took a fall, heard some cracks but never thought anything of it? Totally fine except for a minor sore neck for the next week or so. One day, he is taking a dump, turns to the side to get the TP and a small fragment of bone from his unknown neck fracture sticks in his spinal cord, ending his life on the porcelain throne with a nasty shit in the pot.
 
#47 · (Edited)
I've had quite a few that ended my day or sidelined me for 2-3 weeks, two that have ended my season. Worst was breaking ribs/nose and knee injury, all from a edge slam off a side hit on a cat track.

I've never even thought about giving it up, I love it to much.. I'd rather risk losing my career (Electrician/Lineman). I'd rather be defined by my personal life rather than my work, on my deathbed I'd like to reflect on fun times on the hill, not that time I worked in Bumfuck, Texas setting poles and stringing line.

My uncle recently had a life threatening injury at work, a pipe exploded during a pressure test and shot him 45 ft through the air. A 12'' end cap blew off and hit him in the pelvis.. he's full of metal rods and can barely walk 6 months later. he looked like he was shot with a 12 gage and thrown off cliff.

Shit happens...you're just as safe on hill as you are in your car.
 
#48 ·
I've had quite a few that ended my day or sidelined me for 2-3 weeks, two that have ended my season. Worst was breaking ribs/nose and knee injury, all from a edge slam off a side hit on a cat track.

I've never even thought about giving it up, I love it to much.. I'd rather risk losing my career (Electrician/Lineman). I'd rather be defined by my personal life rather than my work, on my deathbed I'd like to reflect on fun times on the hill, not that time I worked in Bumfuck, Texas setting poles and stringing line.

My uncle recently had a life threatening injury at work, a pipe exploded during a pressure test and shot him 45 ft through the air. A 12'' end cap blew off and hit him in the pelvis.. he's full of metal rods and can barely walk 6 months later. he looked like he was shot with a 12 gage and thrown off cliff.

Shit happens...
No judgement, but do you have kids? I know for myself, and I'd bet for some of the other guys here, risking losing your job to an injury can cause pain to a lot of other people besides your self. So we don't give up, but we get smarter about our riding choices.
 
#49 ·
as a father of two I feel it is my duty to ride hard, because if I don't I am not happy, and if Papa is not happy, no one in the house is.

only actual injury was a broken wrist in probably '89, rode with the cast

had the wind knocked out of me a couple times this season, clacked a few trees and rocks, slid on my face once that i recall...all par for the course
 
#51 ·
Risk of injury is just a part of life. I mean, it can happen to anyone at any given time, doesn't have to be going down a slope.

A serious crash could dampen anyone's spirit of the sport, I think it's your body's natural reaction to let you know eh, you hurt me. It comes down to how badly do you want it? Do you want to grow old wishing you had done something? Or grow old saying that you tried?

Best you can do in my opinion is learn from your mistakes, assess the situation and perform it to the best of your abilities. Respect the mountain and the hazards it poses and don't get out of line.
Understanding your ability is another thing also, knowing what your capable of and developing ride confidence; As well as being knowledgeable of the conditions, and how they change your riding style accordingly.
 
#53 ·
I got a concussion the last day of my first year out. I considered not doing it anymore, but then I got re-stoked, got to the top the next year, and was I scared. I feared going fast, I pretty much was always speed checking, going slow so I wouldn't hurt myself. Consider the fact I was only about 13 when I got the concussion. It was just this year I threw three sheets to the wind, and let the speed carry me, and I finally got over the fear, now the only way I'll ever stop snowboarding is if someone imprisons or kills me.
 
#54 ·
ironically the more i tend to hurt myself, the more positive i am that i want to get better and be gnarlier at it.. so the next time my collarbone breaks its doing a cork 720 instead of a frontside 180 lol
 
#55 · (Edited)
Never had a bad fall/injury while snowboarding, but several while horseriding. Fell off a bucking horse once, directly on my neck, ruptured two spine discs and had one arm partially paralyzed fore some time, weird electrical buzzes when reclining the head for years. Had to sit down and rethink my activities. Quit klimbing and windsurfing for these years, not worth the pain for me. But never eventing and snowboarding. The first season after the accident I was riding slower and more carefully and I looked a bit silly with my stabilizing collar but it never stopped me from riding (boards and horses). Had many discussions with husband then, he first wanted me to quit horsriding or at least eventing. I understood his wish, but it's too much a part of me. As long as I'm able to walk, I'll be riding horses and I say that in full awareness of the risks and consequences, at the latest since this accident. The possibility of loosing the job etc. weights less than loosing part of my nature in reality . Thought it might be different if one has kids...
 
#61 ·
I remember mine like it was yesterday. My heelside edge hit the back of my helmet. I didn't get up for about 10 minutes. :dizzy:

I've several day enders...not coincidentally all of them have been at the end of the the day when I was probably too tired to still be riding. Never have I thought about giving up riding.
 
#57 ·
Yeah last year... but to understand the story you need to know, Im in the Army national guard so maintaining a good state of health its critical.. Im not a useful soldier if im broken... Anyways, It was my first time out all season, people had been dodging me to go so i said fuck it ill go by myself. Normally when its my first time out for the season ill ride some green trails just to kinda refresh my body and get warmed up. I had been snowboarding for about 2 hours and decided to go to the top and hit one of the gnarly diamonds on the way down. Im not good enough to totally bomb one of them but good enough to go down fairly quick, I hit the little jump just before it but i hit it at a bad angle, i landed and immediately i was totally off balance so i was swerving back and forth trying to get my balance, I should have just bailed but hingsight is 20/20, while all this is going on im going way too fast even if i was in control. after what felt like forever of trying wrestle my board back to undercontrol i caught and edge, or hit a rock or something idk, but i got into this summersault, backflip, corkscrew, crazy spinnin crash and at one point my board stopped turning but my body didnt and i felt the worst pain of my life in my back then smashed my head and i was out for a moment. when i came to i was totally alone on the trail and in more pain than ive ever been in. I thought to myself "I think its about time for lunch" and tried to stand but it wasnt happening, i could barely breath much less try to not only finish this trail but then go down the rest of the mountain. luckily someone came by and grabbed the ski patrol and they took me.. found out what happened is i torn S1 in my back, which is the disc where the nerves that goto your leg cross. My season was over the day it started and i hurt so much all the time that just getting out of bed was a difficult task. The sergeant in charge of me was pissed, beyond pissed. I had a training event coming up and i couldnt go if i was hurt. I was in trouble and in a ton of pain and for a while i said i was done, no more of this for me... But with season almost here, all the shops getting ready, the weather starting to change... how can i say no because of one miscalculation?
 
#62 ·
i love snowboarding like the rest of us here, it's pretty much the basis of my lifestyle. i've always been one to tell my friends and family that if i do die snowboarding, no matter how horrific or brutal the death may be, just have trust in me that i died doing something i love. no regrets. if i were to take a serious injury i dont think there would be much to stop me getting back on a board or even sit-ski if i have to, even if it has to come to just cruising groomers at low speeds.
 
#63 ·
Im still young but ive taken my fair share of falls! Last year I broke my scaphoid after arguing with my mom about not wearing wrist splints as I heard they acted as a lever and break your arm at even the smallest fall. So I was out for the season and came back stronger than ever. Im a very experienced park rider doing it since I was 8 (im 16 now), I was participating in a transworld contest(transam) and feel wrong off a double board slide to tail slide 270 out and felt my arm go limp. In denial I stood up rode down and said please please please tell me its not broken. I could obviouslyfeel it was broken and see the deformity it was nasty. So we rode to the hospital as I was in the worst pain in my life.they took x-rays wich were sooo painful. My mom came over to me and said remember how u didnt want to wear wrist guards? Well you broke your arm and wrist.... I ended up breaking the radius and ulna towards the hand. Broke the one in 2 places. They put me under anastesha and placed the bones back. After a night of close monitoring the doctor decided I dont need surgery as of yet. Got a full arm cast, x rays weekly( its been 5 weeks now) so far no surgery. Suposivly im getting a short arm cast next week! Then 2 weeks after ill be good. These 2 big injuries plus allof the other head banging scorpions ive had! Banging offrails my tailbone being destroyed and never have I forgot about quiting but what do I know im a kid no kids,lol,no job so I dont aqueate to all of your circumstances, best of luck to evreyone!
 

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#64 ·
Such a love for boarding, cannot think of any reason to give up.
Busted my arm in a border cross.
Both bones in left with surgery and plates to fix.
Within a week I just could not take it anymore.
Back on the slopes.
I would hold my cast covered arm up in the air to lessen the throbbing.
My friends all started holding a arm up in the air every time we would get in the lift line.
Made me laugh so hard the first time they did it.
20 plus people at the bottom of lift with a arm in the air so I would not feel awkward.

Been down hard on my motorcycles also.
Hit a deer at 85 plus mph.
Made it home on 3 of 4 cylinders as the deer folded then whipped around the right side of bike taking out faring, spark plug, and leg.
Dropped the bike in the driveway and crawled in the house.
Nothing broken but could not walk for a month.
Another thing I would never give up.

Some people may think I am a idiot for continuing.
They are just too scared to really live.
They are the same people who will blog on the net that life sucks and never find any self satisfaction and lasting happiness.
You know, the whiners who get knocked off the old friends list as you just get sick of all the self pity.
To live you must be willing to live.
 
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